How to Install Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP (LAMP) on AlmaLinux 8.10 Systems

The LAMP stack is a popular open-source software suite used to host dynamic web applications. The acronym stands for Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP. This guide will walk you through the process of installing and configuring the LAMP stack on an AlmaLinux 8.10 system.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:

• A running AlmaLinux 8.10 system
• A user account with sudo privileges
• Internet connectivity to download packages

Step 1: Update Your System

First, update your system to ensure all existing packages are up to date.

$ sudo dnf update -y

Step 2: Install and Configure Apache

Install Apache

Apache is a widely-used web server. Install it using the following command:

$ sudo dnf install httpd -y

Start and Enable Apache

Start and enable Apache to run at boot:

$ sudo systemctl start httpd
$ sudo systemctl enable httpd

Configure Firewall for Apache

Allow HTTP and HTTPS traffic through the firewall:

$ sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-service=http
$ sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-service=https
$ sudo firewall-cmd --reload

Verify Apache Installation

Open a web browser and navigate to your server’s IP address. You should see the Apache test page indicating that Apache is installed and running correctly.

Step 3: Install and Configure MySQL

Install MySQL

MySQL is a powerful database management system. Install it using the following command:

$ sudo dnf install mysql-server -y

Start and Enable MySQL

Start and enable MySQL to run at boot:

$ sudo systemctl start mysqld
$ sudo systemctl enable mysqld

Secure MySQL Installation

Run the security script to remove insecure default settings:

$ sudo mysql_secure_installation

Follow the prompts to set a root password, remove anonymous users, disallow root login remotely, remove the test database, and reload the privilege tables.

Verify MySQL Installation

Log into MySQL to verify it is working:

$ mysql -u root -p

You should see the MySQL prompt, indicating that the installation was successful.

Step 4: Install and Configure PHP

Install PHP

PHP is a server-side scripting language used for web development. Install PHP and the necessary modules:

$ sudo dnf install php php-mysqlnd php-fpm php-opcache php-gd php-xml php-mbstring php-json php-cli -y

Configure PHP

To ensure PHP works with Apache, you need to restart Apache:

$ sudo systemctl restart httpd

Test PHP Configuration

To test PHP, create a simple PHP file in the web root directory:

$ echo "<?php phpinfo(); ?>" | sudo tee /var/www/html/info.php

Open a web browser and navigate to http://your_server_ip/info.php. You should see the PHP info page, indicating that PHP is working correctly with Apache.

Step 5: Additional Configuration (Optional)

Configure Apache Virtual Hosts

To host multiple websites, configure Apache virtual hosts. Create a new configuration file for each site in /etc/httpd/conf.d/.

$ sudo nano /etc/httpd/conf.d/yourdomain.conf

Add the following configuration:

<VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerName yourdomain.com
    ServerAlias www.yourdomain.com
    DocumentRoot /var/www/yourdomain
    ErrorLog /var/log/httpd/yourdomain-error.log
    CustomLog /var/log/httpd/yourdomain-access.log combined
</VirtualHost>

Create the document root directory and set permissions:

$ sudo mkdir -p /var/www/yourdomain
$ sudo chown -R apache:apache /var/www/yourdomain

Restart Apache to apply the changes:

$ sudo systemctl restart httpd

Create a MySQL Database

Log into MySQL and create a database and user for your web application:

$ mysql -u root -p

In the MySQL shell, execute the following commands:

CREATE DATABASE yourdatabase;
CREATE USER 'youruser'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'yourpassword';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON yourdatabase.* TO 'youruser'@'localhost';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;

Conclusion

You have successfully installed and configured the LAMP stack on your AlmaLinux 8.10 system. Your server is now ready to host dynamic web applications using Apache, MySQL, and PHP. For more detailed configurations and optimizations, refer to the official documentation of each component:

• Apache Documentation
• MySQL Documentation
• PHP Documentation

Found this article interesting? Follow Brightwhiz on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube to read and watch more content we post.